BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) - It is just weeks away from the presidential election and the Louisiana Democratic Party is feeling hopeful about the energy around Kamala Harris. They are also starting from the ground up with new community engagement. After some stinging defeats in the 2023 election cycle and new leadership, Democrats in Louisiana are hopeful they can make inroads into the Republican control of state government starting locally. Chairman Randal Gaines, who was elected in early 2024, said they are focusing on local interactions and encouraging young people to run for office. “Want to establish a network of leadership throughout the state that is responsive to the needs of those people in the local communities, not just from the top,” Gaines said. They have executive committees in all 64 parishes to listen to the needs of the people to formulate their messaging as a party. Many people have changed parties in recent years to Republican. Gaines said he wants to re-engage those people and those between 18-34 who may be looking for a party that aligns with their beliefs. “We're going to raise our voice against those and the purpose of raising our voices is to be able to inspire our citizens in Louisiana to not just respond, to educate them on how important these issues are,” Gaines said. “And ultimately, it's going to allow us to elect leaders, Democratic leaders, who are willing to take a stand on those issues, raised their voice for those issues, fight for all those issues.” Donald Trump ahead in 3 battleground states: Polls While Louisiana’s electoral votes are all but certain to go to Donald Trump, Gaines believes Harris taking the top of the ticket has renewed a sense of excitement in people across the state to get involved with the party and their community. “Support and enthusiasm that Kamala Harris brought to this political climate in Louisiana has been incredible. It's been through the roof. I'm getting calls from groups, from individuals all over the state,” Gaines said. But voter registration numbers are not as high as 2020. Gaines said the Harris effect is reflected in women greatly outpacing men in their registration. “I would think that it is showing the results of her candidacy, showing the results of the race and the increased level of excitement is demonstrated by the voter registration,” Gaines said. The party is working on a get-out-the-vote initiative with their focus on the sixth congressional race for the state. He said it will take time to build up the party to tackle the Republican supermajority in the legislature and statewide offices but has support behind the groundwork. Latest News If landline phones are dying out, how do political polls work today? Mayfair Laboratory School in Baton Rouge gets national Blue Ribbon award Audit of Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge shows reported bank fraud, tax exemption loss North Carolina GOP senator signals he won’t vote for Robinson after bombshell report U.S. college student found dead after hike on South Africa's Table Mountain